Picture-frame.



G. R. ULMEN.

PIUTUBE FRAME.

AYPLIOATIOII FILED 12.9. 1808.

91 1,530. Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

CHARLES R. ULMEN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

PICTURE-FRAME Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Application filed March 9, 1908. Serial No. 419,840.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES It. ULMEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Picture-Frame, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to picture frames, and the object is to provide a cheap but serviceable, ornamental and as to size adjustable means for framing and supporting pictures in either hanging or standing position.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation of one of my picture frames. Fig. 2 is a rear view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear view of one of my picture frames provided with a rear supporting prop for standing it on a table. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a portion of Fig. 1 modified. Fig. 6 is a top edge view of the corner piece near above it in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is the upper portion of the support in Fig. 3 with one ring removed. Fig. 8 is a left hand end view of F ig. 7 with the ring turned in a different position.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, l0 designates a pane of glass upon which the picture (not shown) is placed and seen through a central openin 11 in a paper 1.2 which covers the back si e of the glass where the picture is not large enough to cover it. Said paper 12, or the picture only, is held in position upon the glass by passepartout strips 13 pasted or stuck in the usual manner over the edge of the glass and extending as a border upon both sides thereof. Upon the corners of the glass and paper frame thus prepared I provide corner pieces 14, which may be of more or less ornamental configuration and made of any suitable material desired.

Each corner piece is provided with three fingers 15 taking over the front side of the frame, and a diagonal thin bar 16 taking over the rear side of the frame. The latter bar is provided with a book 17 pointing toward the corner of the frame. In the four hooks thus provided is placed a Wire 18,

whose ends are firmly secured together at 19 after the wire is drawn taut so as to hold all the corner pieces firmly in place. The length of the wire will vary according to the size of the frame, but the corner pieces may be the same size for agreat variety of sizes of frames.

The entire frame may be suspended by an eye piece 20, or a common picture hanging book (not shown) hooked to the upper bar of the wire 18 and adapted to take over a molding fixed on the wall. But as it is often desired to stand pictures in an inclined position on a table, mantel-piece or piano, 1 provide at the back of the frame a supporting prop 21, which is extensible by being composed of a lower forked foot section 22, and a top section 23 slidingly inserted in the lower section and extensibly held therein by a thumb-screw 24. The upper end of section 23 is T-shaped, and the arms 27 thus formed are each tapered near the end and provided with an open-sided resilient ring 25 and a longitudinal side groove 26. The up er horizontal bar of the wire 18 is place in said grooves and the rings 25 are forced upon the arms of the prop whereby the wire becomes pinched between ring and the groove, the latter being slightly smaller than the wire. The arms of piece 23 need not necessarily be cylindrical nor to have the grooves 26. When the prop 22, 23 is not wanted it may be removed by pushing the rings 25 off from the arms 27 and then slip them sidewise off from the wire, for which purpose they are open at 28.

In Fig. 5 is shown at 15" that the corner pieces may each have one arm longer than the other where such design is preferred as being in better harmony with a picture frame of a much elongated form.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A picture frame comprising a pane of glass, passe-partout strips covering the edges thereof and forming borders upon the pane, corner pieces fitting the corners of the pane and having each a number of fingers bearing against the front side of the pane and a diagonal bar bearing against the rear side of it,hooks fixed one on each diagonal bar and a wire engaging said hooks and having its ends secured together whereby the wire forms two vertical parallel bars and two horizontal parallel bars, one near the lower end and one near the upper end of the frame, a supporting prop detac ably secured to the upper bar of the wire and adapted to support the frame in a rearwardly leaning standing position. said rop being extensible as to 1ts length and aving its upper end T-shaped and on each arm of the T a ring adapted to embrace tightly the arm and the wire.

2. A picture frame comprising a pane of glass, passe-partout strips covering the edges thereof and forming borders upon the pane, corner pieces fitting the corners of the pane and having each a number of fingers hearing against the front side of the pane and a diagonal bar bearing against the rear side of it hooks fixed one on each diagonal bar and a wire engaging said hooks and having its ends secured together whereby the wire forms two vertical parallel bars and two horizontal parallel bars, one near the lower end and one near the upper end of the frame, a supporting prop detachably secured to the upper bar of the wire and adapted to support the frame in a rearwardly leanin standing position, said prop being extensible as to its length and having its upper end T-shaped and on each arm of the T a rin adapted to embrace tightly the arm andt e Wire, and its lower end formed with two legs.

3. In a picture frame, the combination with a Wire stretched across the upper part of the back of it, of a supporting prop having a T-shaped top end formin two arms, each arm having a lateral fingitudinal groove for the Wire and open-sided clasping rings embracin the arms and engaging the wire to hold it rinly in the grooves.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES R. ULMEN.

Witnesses:

JOHN S. Ro'rrr, Jenn Summit. 

